THE ECONOMY: U.S. home construction slowed in December but ended 2013 with the best showing since the housing bubble burst. Builders broke ground last month at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 999,000, stocks to buy now the Commerce Department said Friday. That’s 9.8 percent lower than November’s pace of 1.12 million, the fastest in five years. UNEXPECTED DELIVERIES: United Parcel Service fell $1.66, or 1.7 percent, to $98.83, after the company said its earnings would be lower than it previously forecast because it misjudged holiday demand. The package delivery service said an “unprecedented” amount of online shopping included a surge of last-minute orders, forcing it to use more temporary employees than it had planned to. TREASURYS AND COMMODITIES: The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose was unchanged at 2.84 percent from Thursday. The price of oil rose 30 cents to $94.28 a barrel.
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